My New '68 Camaro Z/28 Butternut Yellow

[maroman]

Don't know your problem. But I've been there many times. You look at something too close and can't see it.

[dannystarr]

Ok so I pulled Number one plug. Rotated to TDC on the compression stroke. Pulled the cap and the rotor is facing number one. I'm lost... Danny

[ds1]

Possibly valves may be set wrong.

[NoYenko]

New problem occuring. Heated it up to operating tempurature. Set the dwell at exactly 32, it was at 30 from the distributor rebuild guy. Set the timing at 4 degress BTDC. Set the static idle at 900. Sitting at an idle with no load on it it purrs like a kitten. Try to give it a little gas about 2 or 3000 RPM's and it starts to shake violently and has a HUGE steady miss. I thought I had it licked. But no way I can even move it out of the garage. Keep in mind this is a NEW problem that was not there before. Going out to make sure I don't have any spark plug wires crossed. What the hell?? I wish 10 of you guys lived close so we could dial this baby in... Wind out of sales, I mean sails... Danny

Danny, I don't think you have a tight valve if it idles smooth, sounds like an ignition or fuel delivery problem. Hook up your timing light to the coil wire and watch the light at 2500 rpm, if it looks erratic, you have an ignition problem. If that's OK watch the carb above the throttle plates and see if the fuel coming out of the venturies looks consistent at 2500 rpm. Look from the side not directly over the carb encase it backfires in your face. Good luck. George 

[z28z11]

Steve, I did NOT take it out yet. I guess I just continue the wire to the coil, but bypass that resistor? I wonder if the dist. is out 180?

There is a resistor wire built in to the harness - controls the voltage to the coil, adding another resistor reduces the voltage even further. As long as you're running a stock coil and stock wiring harness, take it out of the loop.

180 out will run similar to the symptoms you described, but usually backfires quite a bit. Valves wouldn't be adjusted incorrectly if it starts and runs that easily. Ignition is the most likely culprit, followed by fuel delivery. Check your float/fuel level in the carb ?

Regards,
Steve

[dannystarr]

Guys car will backfire with not much effort out of the carb. I was just babying it the last time I started it so it wouldn't do it. This is a new problem, so I don't think it all of a sudden is that resistor, however I will pull it today.
I can't believe how steady it runs at an idle. Carb only has a few minutes on it, it's a brand new Holley. I am not running the original at this time. But of course I will check it for proper delivery. I am also going to flip the dist 180 and drop it back in. Update soon... D

[dannystarr]

Update...Removed the resistor from the mix. Pulled the distributor at least 25 times and could not get it to line up with the rotor pointing at NUMBER ONE!. It always points to number 3. There is no tooth in between section. I tried 20 or 30 times in 3.5 hours. It would never drop facing number one, no matter what I did. I kept turning the pump drive slightly and trying to index it. But it eaither fell right back in the same spot, or it went to what I guess is the next tooth. Pulled the number one plug out and brought it to TDC, and did it again and again. It runs, and doesn't backfire thru the carb... "IF" you shove the vac advance pod all the way against the intake. And even then, you can tell it's just not right, as it has that sound of missing. I rotated the crank and watched the rotor turn. When the rotor is in the center of number one piston, the crank mark is at the last line on the bottom of the timing tang. 15 degress or so out. The thumb over the hole trick couldn't be done, as it was too hot. So we put the compression tester in and used it, and it worked fine.
Float bowl levels were good up front, bad at back bowl. Adjusted it, now ok. HELP!!! Dist just won't go back a tooth.
Also I was wondering if I used the correct mark on the crank gear. The new crank gear had 3 marks on it. I used the circle mark to line it up. Should have used a different mark??? Like the arrow mark, or other mark. Could that be the few degress off issue?
Vacuum is at 10

Geezo, ALL MY WORK!!
 Danny

[firstgenaddict]

It always points to number 3.

AM I MISSING SOMETHING HERE?

The next cylinder in the firing order is 8 not 3.
It should be either 8 next in line to be fired or 2 previously fired

Firing order
18436572

You had mentioned FORDS earlier...
Remember Chevrolet has odds on one bank and evens on the other unlike FORD which has them in order. 1-4 on one bank and 5-8 on the other.

[dannystarr]

What I mean is the rotor is facing cylinder number 3 when I index it, not number one. I can't get it to face number 1. Now that I think of it, maybe I need to rotate back all the plug wires one step. I thought it was supposed to face the number one cylinder. But now I am thinking it needs to face the number position in the cap??... Danny

[firstgenaddict]

YES the rotor must face the #1 plug wire position on the cap and #1 plug wire goes to the front plug on the drivers side of the engine.

[dannystarr]

I will go check... D

[1968 Z28]

Danny...this should be the correct layout.

     

[dannystarr]

I put the wires ONE over CW and it won't even fire   I shift them one hole to the right and it fires right back up. Meaning CCW one. I Have # 1 there because that is where the rotor points when it's a TDC.?? The picture you are showing has # 1 way over next to the vac pod. The rotor doesn't face there? Looks like my rotor at TDC faces where the # 7 is in the picture. Actually between the 2 and 7.. I feel ignorant for sure. I Guess I will go ahead and move them all over two and see what happens.

   Ok, I just put the wires like the picture and it doesn't even fire, more less run. WTF!!!D

[1968 Z28]

Danny....this is the usual layout for the plug wires.  The wires are usually cut to length for this layout.  You don't necessarily have to have the #1 plug wire in the position shown.....the #1 plug wire can be anywhere as long as the same firing order is followed, as shown, and the rotor is aimed at the #1 plug wire (at top dead center on the compression stroke)...and also as long as the wires reach the cap slots.  Hope this is not confusing.

[dannystarr]

I think the advance is coming in too early. I gotta drop in my stock dist.... If it revs up nice and seems to be ok, then I know I need to have the stock dist. reworked AGAIN. Maybe all in at 3,000, instead of 2,400.  Update soon... D